Godwin Junior School

102721 Unique Reference Number Newham LEA LEA 285332 Inspection number 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 Inspection dates Kekshan Salaria HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

p.1

Cranmer Road School address Junior Type of school London Community School category E7 0JW 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 02085347601 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02085343592 Fax number 352 Number on roll Mr John Lock Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Nina Panayis Headteacher 31 August 2006 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 285332 22 June 2006 - 7 to 11 22 June 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors who visited the school, met with pupils, staff and the chair of governors. A range of documentation was scrutinised, including the development plan, data showing how the school is checking on pupils' progress, pupils' work books and records of lesson observations. In addition some teaching and one assembly were observed.

p.3

Description of the school

Godwin Junior is an above average sized school situated in Forest Gate which takes pupils from seven to eleven years of age. Most of the housing in the catchment area of the school is private, rented accommodation. The area is one of some deprivation, for example with a higher than average number of overcrowded homes. Approximately 33% of pupils receive free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is 19%. About 79% of the pupils come from minority ethnic homes, with 57% coming from homes where English is an additional language.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Godwin Junior School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

p.3

Grade: 1

Godwin Junior is a highly effective and inclusive school, which gives its pupils an outstanding education in a stimulating, creative and exciting environment. The staff work very hard to make the best possible academic and personal provision for every child. Throughout the school, all pupils make very good progress because of accomplished and talented teaching, underpinned by the clear vision and outstanding leadership of the headteacher. Parents are thoroughly supportive and recognise the school's qualities; as one parent put it, 'I feel 100% secure when I am at work that my daughter is in a happy, safe and caring school'. When pupils enter the school in Year 3 their attainment is above national average although the attainment of mid-phase admissions is far more likely to be below national expectations. All pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, make very good progress and the majority

p.4

Grade: 1

attain very high standards by the time they leave the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and disability make very good progress in relation to their starting points. This very good achievement is a result of the very thorough planning for lessons, excellent curriculum, the high quality teaching and the high quality support from teaching assistants. In addition, the school's methods of checking how well the pupils are getting on ensure that any slight problems are identified early and support provided. Very skilled teaching absorbs pupils and a very good range of teaching styles and planning for varying ability levels ensure that the needs of all learners are met most effectively. A good example of this was seen in one year group using laptops to write a character description. Staff consistently challenge pupils through questioning and the tasks they set them; this enables pupils to make very good progress during the

p.4

Grade: 1

time they are at the school. Teachers have high expectations of pupils; they expect them to work hard and do their best and pupils rise to this challenge. Teaching assistants are very effectively deployed; they achieve an excellent balance of timely intervention and promoting independent learning. The pupils are proud of their achievements; as one school council member commented, 'it's a school where everyone gets to take part in something'. The very good care and guidance ensure pupils have a clear understanding of what they need to do to be successful and all strive hard to meet their targets. The excellent system of The 4Cs (care, courtesy, consideration and co-operation) leads to pupils showing exemplary behaviour and a high level of personal development. By the time they reach the older classes, they are confident, mature and have a high degree of social awareness. They particularly appreciate the outstanding range of extra activities and visits provided;

p.4

Grade: 1

one pupil said, 'there are opportunities to go to places, museums, London Eye and a residential where you learn about friendship and co-operation'. The school's high quality provision has grown in strength over the years as a result of very good quality leadership and management and, in particular, the drive and passion of the headteacher. A remark by one parent typifies the overwhelming support expressed in the questionnaires by parents: 'I am always impressed with the 2 Inspection Report: Godwin Junior School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 headteacher's 'open door' policy. She is always available to talk to, either in person at school or on the telephone.' The headteacher works in a highly skilled way. She ensures all members of the school community are fully involved in accurately evaluating performance and devising ways forward. In all actions, she ensures the spotlight is kept firmly on developing

p.4

Grade: 1

opportunities to raise standards even higher. Staff are fully committed to her vision of constantly raising the bar on expectations and they therefore work together as a highly successful and committed team. The school has very good systems for reviewing how well it is doing and has identified appropriate priorities for improvement in its school improvement plan. The school recognises that substantial changes to staffing mean that the leadership team take most of the responsibility for monitoring the quality of provision and standards. They are aware that the work of the subject leaders, especially their contribution to monitoring, needs to be strengthened. The senior management are focused on raising standards. Pupils' performance is analysed rigorously to guide curriculum planning and track the pupils' progress against their targets to identify underachievement. Throughout the school, monitoring and evaluation processes are highly effective and

p.5

Grade: 1

they provide a detailed and comprehensive picture of the full range of the school's provision and standards. Nevertheless, the school is not complacent. The staff still feel there is more they can do. For example, by way of thorough and accurate evaluation of their performance as a school, they have identified accurately that still more could be done to improve standards of attainment in writing. The school provides very good value for money.

p.5

Grade: 1

The school correctly believes that achievement and standards are outstanding. The school sets challenging targets for pupils in English and mathematics, and pupils generally meet these. The school provides well gauged support for pupils who need extra help. As a consequence no groups of pupils underachieve. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make very good progress. Pupils for whom English is an additional language make very good progress towards fluency in the language.

p.5

Grade: 1

The school is highly successful in creating well rounded, well balanced individuals. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments are excellent. Assemblies are warm, whole-school occasions used to recognise both the social and academic achievements of pupils; pupils beam with pride when they are handed their achievement certificates. Pupils' attitudes to work and play are excellent. Pupils' enjoyment is reflected in their high rate of attendance each day. Pupils understand and respect how people of other cultures live and worship. They make a very good contribution to the local community. The school is diligent in 3 Inspection Report: Godwin Junior School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 promoting the pupils' health and safety and their understanding of the importance of diet and exercise for healthy living. The school has successfully produced a school travel plan with funding to improve healthier and safer travel to school. The school

p.5

Grade: 1

council takes its responsibilities very seriously and pupils have been instrumental in securing change, for example to school lunches. Pupils feel secure and know to whom to turn should they have a problem.

p.6

Grade: 1

Teaching at Godwin Juniors is outstanding. During lessons pupils are challenged and stimulated by a good range of activities which maintain interest. Lesson objectives are pupil friendly. Skilled questioning and the use of 'talking partners' ensure speaking and listening and collaborative learning are accentuated. During the inspection such practice was observed being used consistently from Year 3 to Year 6. As a result, pupils make very good progress. The school has highly developed systems of assessment which pinpoint areas of weakness in pupils' performance. These are then addressed to ensure pupils' performance in these areas improves. Planning for, and assessment of, the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is very good. As a result, these pupils make very good progress in relation to their starting points.

p.6

Grade: 1

The curriculum is broad, balanced and it inspires pupils. Provision for ICT has improved considerably since the last inspection: interactive whiteboards are used very effectively by teachers to bring the curriculum to life, and there are well planned opportunities for pupils to use their ICT skills across the curriculum. Years 5 and 6 were delighted to be using laptops recently acquired by the school, for maths and literacy presentations. Homework is used very effectively to support pupils' learning at school and teachers make the time to ensure that pupils have understood the tasks they have completed. The school has developed very good links with other organisations and schools which help to enhance the pupils' experiences within and beyond the local community. This is augmented by the use of well chosen visitors and visits to broaden pupils' learning experiences. Particularly noteworthy are the number of extra-curricular activities

p.6

Grade: 1

offered to pupils. The school council spoke with enthusiasm about the number extra-curricular opportunities they enjoy. 4 Inspection Report: Godwin Junior School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

p.6

Grade: 1

Pupils receive very good care, support and guidance. Staff are highly committed to pupils' well being and safety. They work hard to raise pupils' self esteem and help them become more effective learners. Teachers' marking of work is thorough and their comments link well to the pupils' individual targets and give clear guidance on how to improve further. Pupils told the inspector how much they appreciated this. Health and safety procedures and all requirements for child protection are in place and the school site is very well maintained and secured during the school day. Pupils behave in a safe manner. A high degree of racial harmony is apparent throughout the school; there have been no reported incidences of exclusion or racist incidents at the school for several years, but pupils understand clearly the action that the school will take should this arise. The school draws on outside agencies very appropriately to build the expertise of staff

p.7

Grade: 1

and to ensure pupils make very good progress. For example, links with local schools have led to a good range of services on offer to pupils and their families through the Extended School Services.

p.7

Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher provides exemplary leadership and a clear vision for school improvement. She is instrumental in ensuring that pupils' well-being and inclusion are at the heart of the school's ethos and work. She is ably supported by the senior management team and there is a clear sense of responsibility and teamwork. Governance of the school is very good. Governors are strong supporters of the school but have no reservations about questioning new initiatives or current procedures; they hold the school to account as well as encouraging the staff in their endeavours. There is significant capacity for further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Godwin Junior School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 .

p.7

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Godwin Junior School, 22 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

p.10

The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

p.10

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Children I am writing to let you know how much I enjoyed coming to visit your school.Thank you for making me feel so welcome and helping me during the inspection. I agree with your opinion that Godwin Junior is an excellent school. I checked out many things about your school and this is what I found:* You work very hard in lessons and show a lot of interest in your work.* You make excellent progress and reach high standards.* The teaching is very good and all the staff do things the same way so you all know where you stand. You all have targets to reach and I could see that you want to do well. * Your school is a safe place and you know that if you have a problem, there is an adult to talk to.* You really appreciate all of the extra interesting and exciting activities that the school provides for you.* You are learning to be responsible and independent. You behave yourselves very well and you all get on very well with each other and with the staff.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your headteacher runs the school tremendously well. The headteacher wants to keep on improving it and she and the teachers know just how to do that. I hope that you continue to enjoy coming to school, work hard and do well in the future. Yours sincerely, Kekshan Salaria Her Majesty's Inspector

p.11